A look back at the events of 2014 in the field of women’s ordination
Women pastors
1. Latvia, 9 February. Unequivocally, the most striking event to mention is the ordination to the office of pastor of LELBāL deacon and board member of the Latvian Lutheran Women Theologians Association Ieva Puriņa, which took place on 9 February 2014 in Riga. Ieva was ordained to the office of pastor by LELBāL Archbishop Elmārs E. Rozītis.
2. Chile, 28 April. The Lutheran Church in Chile (ILCH) ordained Pastor Hanna Schramm as its first woman pastor, which marked a historic turning point – all the churches of the Lutheran World Federation in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region now accept women pastors.
Women bishops
1. Sweden, 15 June. Antje Jackelén was consecrated as the first woman archbishop in Sweden! The consecration in Uppsala Cathedral was attended by the Swedish royal family in full, as well as various Swedish politicians and archbishops from various countries of the world.
2. England, 14 July. The General Synod of the Anglican Church, by a fairly substantial majority of votes “in favor,” voted for the right of women to be ordained to the office of bishop in the Anglican Church. The ordination of women to the office of pastor in the Anglican Church took place 20 years ago.
3. 17 October. LELBāL (the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia Abroad) elected Lauma Zusevics as its new bishop, who will take over the baton from the current LELBāL Archbishop Elmārs Ernsts Rozītis.
This news was covered by a Latvian media outlet (Kas Jauns), in an article of 25 December that depicted the content of the Christmas addresses of the leaders of Latvia’s Christian denominations. The article can be read on the portal “Kas Jauns” http://www.kasjauns.lv/lv/zinas/174655/latvijas-biskapu-svetku-uzrunu-kokteilis-normalais-prieks-miesas-greki-un-sievietes-cildinasana
4. Latvia, 30 October. Bishop emerita of the Lutheran Church of Great Britain Jāna Jēruma-Grīnberga moves to Latvia to serve in Riga, in the Anglican congregation of the Holy Saviour. Jāna Jēruma-Grīnberga takes up the duties of pastor of the Riga Anglican congregation of the Holy Saviour, which until now had been diligently carried out for 18 years by pastor and lecturer of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Latvia Juris Cālītis.
This news was covered positively by a Latvian media outlet (Kas Jauns), which on 27 December published an extensive interview with Jāna Jēruma-Grīnberga. The interview can be read on the portal “Kas Jauns” http://www.kasjauns.lv/lv/zinas/174344/pirma-latviesu-biskape-sieviete-paiet-laiks-kamer-piesaujies-latvijas-sistemai
5. England, 17–19 November. The Synod of the Anglican Church approves the law on the election of women to the office of bishop. The Archbishop of Canterbury reveals that the first woman bishop in the Anglican Church could be ordained as early as around Christmas.
6. England, 17 December. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby nominates Pastor Libby Lane as the first woman candidate for the office of bishop.
Aļesja Lavrinoviča